Schwalbe Pro One Evo 700 x 25CC
As the one true pro tire in Schwalbe’s road portfolio, the Pro One Evo promises excellent rolling resistance and outstanding puncture resistance. Weighing in at 241 g, it’s by far the heaviest clincher and the second heaviest tire in the entire test field. But does this necessarily make it bombproof?
Mounting the Schwalbe Pro One Evo takes some effort. The stiff sidewall and tight mounting tolerances caused us to break a sweat. Remounting the tire requires less effort though and skilled (and strong) home mechanics won’t even need to use a tire lever anymore.
If we were to judge a tire by its performance on the test bench, the Schwalbe Pro One Evo would do a brilliant job and stick out from the crowd for its excellent puncture protection. But as we all know, there’s more to a good tire than just passing lab tests. With its predictable handling, the Pro One shares one characteristic with the GP 5000: good control at the limit. On smooth tarmac, the Schwalbe shines with good rolling qualities and inspires tons of confidence with good grip.
But once the tarmac turns rough, things look rather different. With its stiff sidewalls and resulting low damping qualities, the tire seems to pick up and amplify the imperfections of the road, sending bigger impacts straight through the cockpit. Unfortunately, this affects both your confidence and the grip of the tire. In other words, this tire requires gentle input and doesn’t like harsh or extreme manoeuvres! At the recent launch of the new SCOTT Addict RC, we had the opportunity to test a few Schwalbe prototypes, and we even performed a few hazardous moves… let’s see what the new year holds for us.
Fact: You can’t measure comfort with machines and that’s precisely why we also tested the tires on the road. It’s exactly there that we realised that the Schwalbe has very poor damping qualities and lacks comfort. In this regard, the Pro One Evo is the worst-performing tire in test, together with the Conti Grand Prix 5000.
Conclusions
What are the true strengths of Schwalbe’s Pro One Evo? Superb puncture protection and low rolling resistance. Whilst at € 69.90 the Pro One Evo is the most expensive tire in our test, it’s also a good-rolling everyday tire with excellent puncture protection. However, keep it away from rough tarmac and off-road shortcuts if you want a comfortable ride! Nonetheless, the Schwalbe is a great option for commuters, because nothing messes up your day more than a flat tire on your ride to work.
Tops
- Best puncture protection in test
- Available in many colours and widths (up to 30 mm)
- Very low rolling resistance
Flops
- Most expensive tire in test
- Poor level of comfort
- Relatively hard to mount
Grip | Rolling resistance | Puncture-protection | Mounting | Value for money
Price: € 69.90
Weight1: 241 g
Width2: 26.5 mm
Tubeless? Yes, available as tubeless ready version.
Colours? Black with a selection of blue, white or red stripes as well as tan wall options.
Widths? Available in 23, 25, 28 and 30 mm.
1 The weight was checked against the manufacturer’s specifications and averaged across all tires of the same model we tested.
2 The width was checked against the manufacturer’s specifications and averaged across all tires of the same model we tested.
